Automatic car coupling



5 SHEETS-SHEET K.

AUTOMATIC CAR COUPLING.

HLED FEB. 13. 1922.-

Jan. 16, 1923.

l I II II h IF'H M 'H F. P. FLINN.

AUTOMATIC CAR COUPLING.

Jan. "16, 1923.

5 skin s-sneer 2.

H LED FE B. I3, 1922.

Jan. 16, 1923.

I F. P. FLINN.

AUTOMATIC CAR COUPLING.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

FILED FEB. 13, I922.

Jan. 16, 1923'.

F. P. FLINN.

AUTOMATIC CAR COUPLING.

5 SHEETSSHEET 4'.

HLED FEB-13,1922.

I II I 6H0: neg

Jan. 16, 1923. 1,442,216.

F.'P. FLINN R v AUTOMATIC CAR COUPLING.

FILED FEB. 13. 1922- 5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

Patented Jan. 16, 1923.

.zxumirsn YSTAT'E'S AT m orr nce-f,

rnnnxjr. rLI vN, or TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA, Assienon To an sl rnzry 'enn"i COUPLER COMPANY, n conronA'rIoiv or INDIANA;

AUTOMATIC CAR COUPLI G; I

I Application filed February 13, 19 22. Seriallil'oQ536,237.

To all whom it'may concern: Be it known that I, FRANK P. :FLINN, acitizen of. the United States, residing at .Terre Haute, in the countyconnected on contact unless the coupling link is projected fromitsdrawhead, so: that a loadedcar may be made to bump an empty car ofl' acage.with0ut coupling. Another object is the-provision of an automaticcoupling eflicient' on short curves and adapted to transverse curveswithout liability ofthe drawheads locking.

To the attainment of the foregoing, the

invention consists in the improvement as hereinafter describedand'definitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming;

part of this specification Figure 1 is a plan view of my improvement. 1

Figure 2 is a side elevationof the" same.

Figure 3- is a horizontal section taken in the plane indicated by theline 3-3 of Figure 2. 1

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section on line.

4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a similar view which shows the opposed drawheads asconnected to getlier.

Figure 6 is a perspective of the coupling link per se.

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail perspective of the slidable body of onedrawhead.

Figure 8 is an enlarged perspective of the pin of said drawhead.

Figure 9 is an enlarged perspective of the lever carried thereby.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all ofthe views of the drawings. Y

The opposed ends of two cars l and 2 shown in Figures 1-5.

Carried by the illustrated end of the car 1 is a housing 3 in which isfixed a guide are of Vigo. and State of Indiana, have invented newanduseful Improvements .in Automatic Car. Couplings, of which thefollowing is a .speciblock 4: and inthe outer end wall .of which i is aguide aperture 5.

The block 4 includes. a transverse-central apertur'ed wall 6 and sleeves7 at opposite sidesof the same. v V o Movable longitudinally through thewall 6 and sleeves 7 is a drawbar8 on which is a'nut or otherappropriate abutment' 9- .between which andthe wall 6 is a coiled spring10,'mou'nted on the bar8g The outer end ofthe drawbar 8 extends into-thehollow shank 11 of a drawhead 12, and is con- V nected to said shank 11through the medium of a pin '13. Disposed in the drawhead 12 is aslidable, spring-locked body 14 in;

whichis a longitudinal slot'15 to receive a limiting pin 16*, carried bythe drawhead.

The mouth of the drawhead 12 is flaredas shown, and in the upper andlower walls mouth, are vertically-alined apertures '16 ot' the drawheadat points adjacent to saidand 17 for the reception of a heavy and strongpin 18, preferably circular in cross section and provided with a reducedand 19.. On the upper side of the drawhead '12 are-parallel standards 20between which is flattenedandapertured upper end portion fulcrumed alever 21, the outer end of}, which is bifurcated at 22 to straddle thepin portion 19, and is provided in the walls ofI- the bifurcation withlongitudinal slots 23 to receive the pin 24 by which'the, lever 21 isconnected to the pin 18. The pin 18 and the lever 21 are'yieldinglymaintained in and adapted to be placed in thepositions'shown 9o,

i1rFigure5- by a strong spring 25- which bears against the upper side ofthe draw,-

head 12 and theouter-arm Figures 2, 4 and 5, lever 21 is connectedthrough a link 26 with of the lever 21,

a crank 27 on a transverse shaft 28, journaled in appropriate bearings29 on the end of the car body 1 and having cranks 30:11: its ends,Figure l. Manifestly when it is desired toraise the pin 18 to enable thebody 1 1 toassume a position under said pin 18, Figure 4, the same maybe conveniently accomplished by an aperture standing at I either side ofthe car or car body 1. V The drawheadv 31 carried by the car or car body2 and designed to cooperate inop posed relation with the drawhead 12, ishoused in and held against longitudinal movement relative to said carbody 2, is provided with a chamber 32, and is also pro- The inner arm ofthe thereof from the position shown in Figures 3 and 4 to that shown inFigure 5 and vice versa. On theinner end of said link 35 is an aJertured ton ue 36 and ainned or othera a l wise connected to saidtongue 36 is the slotted head 37 Figure 3, of a bar 38, the slot in thesaid head being ofarcuate form and receiving the pin 39 so as to permitthe link 35 to swing horizontally relative to the bar 38. The said bar38 is guided ii'or rectilinear, longitudinal movement in the shank 33and is longitudinally slotted at 40 to receive an upstanding crank 41.0na transverse shaft 42, jonrnaled in appropriate bearings on the car body2 and having handles 44 at its ends and at opposite sides oitthe saidbody 2. From this it follows that an operative at one side of the body 2is enabled with out goingbetween the cars, to project the link 35--1.e., move the same from the position shown in Figures 3 and 4 to thatshown in Figure'5, and this against the action of the retractile spring45 which is interposed between and connected to the crank 41 and the carbody 2. Obviously the projection of the link 35 tensions the spring 45,with the. result that immediately following the release 03": the saidlink 35 from the pin 18 of drawhead 12, the said spring 45 will promptlydraw the link 35 into its fully-housed position in the drawhead 31 andinwardly beyond the abutting end or face of the said drawhead 31,Figures 3 and 4.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that while the drawhead 31 has nomovement relative to the car body 2, the drawhead 12 is movablelongitudinally with respect to its car body 1 and is cushioned in itsopposite movements by the springs 10, Figure 3. It

will also be apparent thatjto couple the cars it is simply necessary foran operative to project the link 35 precedent to the coming together ofthe drawheads,when the link 35 will engage and move inwardly the body14,

the coupling, and this in such manner that casual uncoupling will beprecluded.

It will further be noted that in virtue of my improvement it is entirelypractical to couple and uncouple cars though they be standing with thedrawheads 12 and 31 in:

equipped with a coupling'link, and means extending to the side ofthecarbody, wherewhereupon the spring-:lt'ctuated lever 21 will forcethe pin 18 into the link 35 and complete by the link may be manuallyprojected from v the draw head, this means including a rectilinearlymovable-bar and an areuate coupling between the outerend of said barand" the inner end of the link wherebythe inner end of the link isadapted to move horizontally relative to the outer endof the bar.

2. In a car coupling,-a draw head being equipped witha coupling link andmeans extendingto the side of thecar body, whereby the link may bemanually projected from the draw head, this means including rectibetweenthe outer end ofsaid bar and the inner end of the link, whereby theinner end of the link is adapted to move horizontally relative to theouter end of the bar and also handle means, and also-having acrankengaging thebar, and a retractile spring interposed between andconnectingjthe crank and the car body and tending to retract the link.

including a transverse rock shaft having,

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

FRANK P. FLINN'.

8O linearly movable bar and an arcuate coupling.

